Tyson Gay wins the 100m at the 2009 Super Meet in Kawasaki (© AFP / Getty Images)
USA’s Tyson Gay and Allyson Felix more than comfortable 100m victories at the Super Meet in Kawasaki, Japan, today; 23 September is a national holiday in the country.
Gay, who recorded 9.69 three days ago in Shanghai, China won the men’s 100m in 10.13 sec with Japan’s Naoki Tsukahara second in 10.31, while Masashi Eriguchi came home third with the same time.
Eriguchi won the national 100m title in June while Tsukahara pulled out of the final with a slight injury, and thus the Super Meet 100m had been billed locally as the race to determine the fastest human in Japan.
Felix, now a three time World champion at 200m, won the women’s 100m with 11.22sec into a headwind. Chisato Fukushima, the Japanese national record holder, was able to stay with Felix in the early part of the race but second in 11.42. Momoko Takahashi who won the national championships in the absence of Fukushima finished only fifth in 11.71.
Wirkkala upsets the party
The biggest attraction of the entire meeting from a Japanese point of view was Yukifumi Murakami, who won a surprise bronze medal in the Javelin Throw in Berlin World Championships.
He has been at the centre of attention ever since he returned from Berlin because he was the first Japanese ever to win a medal at Javelin throw in the World Championships. Since then even news that Murakami had thrown a baseball at 150Km per hour speed had even attracted the nation’s attention.
His main rival at the Super Meet was Teemu Wirkkala of Finland, also a finalist in Berlin and the fifth place finisher at the 2008 Olympic Games. After the first round, Wirkkala led with his throw of 79.51m, and then threw 80.30m with his second attempt while Murakami threw 79.40m to close the gap in the same round.
Wirkkala with 81.83m in the third round extended his lead, but Murakami answered with 82.41m to take pole position. It was his third longest throw of his career, behind 83.10m and 82.97 he threw in Berlin.
However, Wirkkala was not finished, and in the fifth round Wirkkala threw 82.60m to regain the lead and ultimately win the competition, as Murakami could only muster 80.21m in the final round.
“I was at the centre of the attention for the first time in my life, so I was bit tense, but thanks to the cheering by fans, I was able to throw well,” said Murakami. “I am not used to be introduced as the World Championships medallist yet, but I want to come up with big throws that will draw “Wow” from the spectators.”
Lebedeva wins the Long Jump
Like in the Javelin Throw, the women’s Long Jump also saw a couple of lead changes. Sachiko Masumi took the lead in the first round with 6.43m, but in the second round 2007 World champion Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia took over with 6.45m. Lebedeva, silver medallist from Berlin, extended her lead with the fourth round jump of 6.47m but in the fifth round Fumni Jimoh of the US jumped 6.48m to move into the first place. But Lebedeva was not finished. In the same round she jumped 6.60m to retake the lead, which was enough for the win.
Felicien and Thomas with ease over the barriers
Perdita Felicien, 2003 World champion, won the women’s 100mHurdles, the first running event of the meet clocking 12.74sec. Mami Ishino had a good start, but by middle of the race Felicien took over the lead, which she continued to extend over the last half of the race. Felicien won, while Hyleas Fountain, better known as a heptathlete, finished second in 13.15, and Ishino held on for the third with 13.26.
In the men’s 110m Hurdles, Moses Yume, the reigning Japanese collegiate champion, had a good start and led Dwight Thomas of Jamaica until the fourth hurdle. However, Thomas took over the lead at the fifth hurdle and from then on he extended his lead all the way and won in 13.37. Yume held on to the second place and recorded 13.77 into the head wind. Konstantin Shabanov, 2008 World Junior champion, finished third in 13.96.
In the women’s 400m, Japanese record holder Asami Tanno led from the start to finish and won with 53.32sec. She held off a fast closing Barbara Petrahn of Hungary.
Gary Kikaya of Congo won the men’s 400m from Yuzo Kanemaru in 45.73 sec, who was closing fast in the home-straight (45.91). David Neville, Beijing Olympic bronze medallist finished disappointing fourth with 46.34.
Tiffany Williams, fifth in Berlin, won the women’s 400m Hurdles in 55.31, while Satomi Kubokura, national record holder, was second more than a second behind. Three times a global champion Felix Sanchez won the men’s 400m Hurdles in 48.91. Kenji Narisako was even with Sanchez around the final bend, but Sanchez pulled away in the home-straight to win by a half second.
Takafumi Suzuki won the men’s Pole Vault with 5.40m, while the national record holder Daichi Sawano failed three times at his opening height of 5.50m. Osaka World Champion Donald Thomas won the men’s High Jump (2.24m), while Reese Hoffa won the men’s Shot Put (20.21m).
Ken Nakamura for the IAAF
Assisted by Akihiro Onishi
Click here for full RESULTS
Men
100m 0.5m/s
1) Tyson Gay (USA) 10.13
2) Naoki Tsukahara 10.31
3) Masashi Eriguchi 10.31
400m
1) Gary Kikaya (COD) 45.73
2) Yuzo Kanemaru 45.91
3) Ben Offereins (AUS) 46.10
4) David Neville (USA) 46.34
110mH -1.3m/s
1) Dwight Thomas 13.37
2) Moses Yume 13.77
3) Konstantin Shabanov (RUS) 13.96
400mH
1) Felix Sanchez (DOM) 48.91
2) Kenji Narisako 49.41
3) Kawakita 50.01
HJ
1) Donald Thomas (BAH) 2.24m
2) Tora Harris (USA) 2.21m
PV
1) Takafumi Suzuki 5.50m
2) Rory Quiller (USA) 5.40m
3) Daiki Ogita 5.40m
4) Derek Miles (USA) 5.30m
…
Daichi Sawano NH
SP
1) Reese Hoffa (USA) 20.21m
2) Dan Taylor (USA) 19.87m
3) Dylan Armstrong (CAN) 19.44m
JT
1) Teemu Wirkkala (FIN) 82.60m
2) Yukifumi Murakami 82.41m
Women
100m -0.8m/s
1) Allyson Felix (USA) 11.22
2) Chisato Fukushima 11.42
3) Mayumi Watanabe 11.64
400m
1) Asami Tanno 53.32
2) Barbara Petrahn (HUN) 53.50
3) Maris Magi (EST) 53.53
100mH 0.3m/s
1) Perdita Felicien (CAN) 12.74
2) Hyleas Fountain 13.15
3) Mami Ishino 13.26
4) Asuka Terada 13.41
400mH
1) Tiffany Williams (USA) 55.31
2) Satomi Kubukura 56.75
LJ
1) Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS) 6.60m (0.9m/s)
2) Funmi Jimoh (USA) 6.48m
3) Sachiko Masumi 6.43m
JT
1) Kara Patterson (USA) 57.80m
2) Yuki Ebihara 55.65m
